Building-wall-and-window construction



March 12, 1968 H. K. LORENTZEN BUILDING-WALL-AND-WINDOW CONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb 8, 1966 FIG. I

INVENTOR FIG.3

mv M 5% K. m 5 NY March 12, 1968 H. K. LORENTZEN BUILDING-WALLANDWINDOW CONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 8, 1966 INVENTCR HANS K. LORNTZN March 12, 1968 K. LORENTZEIN BUILDING-WALL-ANDWINDOW CONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets-Sheet :5

INVENTCR HANS K. LURE/V722 2% Km ATT QRNEY Filed Feb. 8, 1966 March 12, 1968 H. K. LORENTZEN 3,372,727

BUILD ING-WALL-ANDWINDOW CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 8, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 HANS 315227315 ATTdRN EY United States Patent 3,372,727 BUILDING-WALL-AND-WINDOW CONSTRUCTION Hans K. Lorentzen, Montclair, N.J., assignor to Levolor Lorentzen, Inc, Hoboken, N..I., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Feb. 8, 1966, Ser. No. 525,977 9 Claims. (Cl. 160-33) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A Venetian blind and a Window opening having a recess in the upper portion for receiving the blind in collapsed position. An operator for the blind communicating with the recess and separated therefrom by a partitioning structure.

This invention relates to a building wal -and-window construction including means for controlling the passage of light through the window.

By means of the present invention a wall-and-winclow construction is provided whereby the light passing through the window-opening can be controlled by a conventional blind which, however, is protected against being struck or bumped by people within the building and objects which they are carrying and which blind, nevertheless, may be conveniently manipulated by those within the building. The construction and arrangement of the invention may also provide for greater shielding of the interior of the building from the heat of the sun, for guarding the blind against wind action, and for protecting the blind from dust to a considerable extent.

Various other objects and advantages relating to details and economies of manufacture, assembly and use will be apparent from the disclosure hereinafter.

In both the description and the claims parts at times may be identified by specific names for clarity and convenience but such nomenclature is to be understood as having the broadest meaning consistent with the context and with the concept of the invention as distinguished from the pertinent prior art. By way of illustration and example, the best modes thus far contemplated of carrying out the inventon are illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification. Except as may be otherwise indicated the description refers to the specific forms of the invention shown in the drawing; it does not necessarily refer to any other form in which the invention may be embodied. The claims, however, do embrace other forms in which the invention may be embodied.

FIGURES 1-7 of the drawing show a first mode that has been contemplated of carrying out the invention, and FIGURES 811 show a second mode that has been contemplated of carrying out the invention. FIGURE 12 shows a cover that is adaptable for use with either FIG- URES 1-7 or 811.

FIGURE 1 is largely diagrammatic and is a fragmentary elevation, from the exterior of the building, showing a first wall-and-window construction embodying the invention including a Venetian blind in lowered position. For clarity, all of the glazing is omitted.

FIGURE 2 is the same as FIGURE 1 but with the Venetian blind in raised position.

FIGURE 3 is largely diagrammatic and is a fragmentary elevation corresponding to FIGURE 2 but from the interior of the building. A fragment of the interior glazing is shown diagrammatically.

FIGURE 4 is a front elevation of the blind-control unit without the cover that is illustrated in FIGURE 12, this unit being on the interior of the building.

FIGURE 5 is largely diagrammatic and is a vertical detail section, with certain parts in elevation, taken generally on the line 55 of FIGURE 3 and drawn to a larger scale than FIGURE 3. For clarity of illustration some parts are omitted.

FIGURE 6 is largely diagrammatic and is a horizontal detail section, taken generally on the line 66 of FIG- URE 3. For clarity of illustration some parts are omitted.

FIGURE 7 is a detail section on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 6 showing the driving connection to the tilter of the Venetian blind.

FIGURE 8 is largely diagrammatic and is a fragmentary vertical section showing a second wall-and-window construction embodying the invention.

FIGURE 9 is a top plan view of the blind-control unit shown in FIGURE 8, standing alone and without the cover that is illustrated in FIGURE 12.

FIGURE 10 is a front elevation of the blind-control unit of FIGURE 9 looking from the bottom of that figure.

FIGURE 11 is a perspective view of the connector to the tilter of the Venetian blind.

FIGURE 12 is a perspective view of a cover that is adaptable for either the blind-control unit shown in FIG- URE 4 or the blind-control unit shown in FIGURES 9 and 10.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURES 17 will now be described.

In FIGURES 16 there is shown diagrammatically an exterior building-wall 15 of masonry, concrete or cementitious construction. The wall 15 could also be of other material, e.g., brick or wood. This wall has a vertical face 15a on the interior of the building and a vertical face 15b on the exterior of the building. A window-opening 15c extends through the wall, from the interior of the building to the exterior of the building. This windowopening has sides 15d and 152, top 15 and a bottom 15g. The bottom 15g slopes outwardly from the interior face of the wall 15 to the exterior face thereof, giving rise to the two horizontal lines in FIGURES 1 and 2 that are respectively above and below the lead line for reference character 15g.

As is best seen in FIGURE 5, a recess 15h extends across the top 15 of the window-opening. In FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 this recess is hidden and, because of the difficulty of applying the reference character 1511 to those figures, the reference character 15i is applied to the top of the recess 15/1 in each of FIGURES 1, 2, 3 and 5. Viewed in cross section as in FIGURE 5, the recess 1511 is located between the interior and exterior faces 15a and 15b of the building-wall. This results in a partitioning structure 15j between the recess 15h and the interior of the building and another partitioning structure 15k between the recess 15k and the exterior of the building. Through the partitioning structure 15 there are passages 15m and 1511, for purposes which will appear later.

The window-opening is covered by glazing, on the interior of the building and also on the exterior of the building. For convenience the term glazing is used to embrace not merely the transparent pane of glass or plastic but also the mounting frame therefor.

The interior glazing (FIGURES 3 and 5) is designated as a whole by 16 and consists essentially of a rectangular, transparent pane 16a and a rectangular mounting frame 16b. The frame 1612 has a channel that is filled with mastic or the like 16c in which the peripheral edge of the pane 16a is embedded. The frame 16b, which may be fabricated from formed metal (e.g., brass, aluminum, steel or stainless steel), may be sealed in water-excluding relation and dust-excluding relation to the window-opening in any suitable manner. As shown by way of example in FIGURE 5, the frame 161) includes an annular flange 16d which is sealed to the interior wall-surface 1511 by a gasket 19. The frame 16!) may be held in place by any suitable fastenings, as by a series of screws 20 (one shown in FIGURE 5). If the material of the building wall is not suitable to directly receive these screws and other screws shown for other attachments, then a screw-receiving plug or anchor may first be set into the wall for each screw, as is customary practice.

The exterior glazing is designated as a whole by 17 (FIGURE 5). This glazing will not be further described, since it is of the same construction as the interior glazing 16 and is sealed to the exterior wall surface b in the same manner that the interior glazing 16 is sealed to the which is rotatably supported by two cradles 180' (one 7 shown in FIGURE 6), carries two sheet-steel tape rockers 18c (one shown in FIGURE 6). The upper ends of plastic or woven ladder tapes l8 and 18g (FIGURE I) extend through slots in the bottom of the head-bar channel 18b and are atached to the tape rockers 182. The ladder tapes carry an assembly of sheet-metal slats 18/1 and a sheet-steel bottom bar 18!; see particularly FIGURES 1 and 5. From the bottom bar 18L lift cords 18 and 18k extend upwardly through rout openings in the slats, through holes in the bottom of the head-bar channel 18/) and int the head barfragments of these two lift cords being shown in FIGURE 5. Upon the tilt rod 180 being rotated a part-turn in either direction from the position shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, the slats 18/: of the blind are tilted. Upon the lift cords 18j and 18k shown in FIG- URE 5 being pulled up, the blind is raised by the bottom bar I81 being pulled up and the slats 18/1 being accumulated on top of the bottom bar. The Venetian blind structural and operating features referred to in the instant paragraph are conventional, and will not be further described.

The head bar 18a of the Venetian blind is nested in the recess 15h (FIGURE 5) and is mounted adjacent to the top of such recess in any suitable manner. One suitable manner is to support each end of the head bar 18a with a sheet-steel installation bracket of the general type shown in US. patent to Lorentzen, 2,674,432, issued Apr. 4, 1954. A bracket of that general type is shown in FIGURE 5, being designated as a whole by 24. This is a separable bracket consisting of a building-attached member 24a and a detachable U-shaped stirrup 24b. The part 24a has a transversely extending straplike portion 240 which is shown attached to the top of the recess 15h by screws 25, 25. From that edge of portion 240 which is adjacent to the end of the recess 15h, there depends an integral flange 24d which is provided with a pair of screw holes 24k, 24k for, alternatively, attaching the member 24a to the end wall of the recess 15h. The ends of the member 24a are bent downwardly and thence toward each other, as shown at 24c, 24c; and the ends of the stirrup member 2412 are bent outwardly in matching relationship at 24f, 24 From the two opposite edges of each inturned portion 246 small tabs 24g extend upwardly (one shown for each inturned portion Me).

In a typical wall-and-window construction of the present invention, the head-bar-receiving recess 15h that ex tends across the top of the window opening is as long as the window opening is wide, and the ends of the recess I511 are in alignment with the sides 15d and 15a of the window opening. The Venetian blind 18 will normally have a width only slightly less than the width of the window opening, and the head bar 13a will normally have a length suflicient to occupy the entire length of the recess 1511 except for the small clearance needed at each end for convenient installation of the head bar. The installation bracket 24 that is shown in FIGURE 5 is of such a nature that it can be placed at different positions along the length of the head bar 18a, so that the head bar can be supported by two or more such brackets neither of which is at the end of the head bar. For present purposes, however, it will be assumed that the head bar 1811 is mounted by tw installation brackets 24, one at each end of the head bar, which means that the brackets 24 are at the ends of the recess 15h also.

The bracket members 24a having been attached to the building, one adjacent to each end of the recess 1511, any suitable manipulative procedure may be used for placing the head bar 18a and the stirrups 24b into the assembled position shown in FIGURE 5. One procedure is to attach the stirrup 24b to the bracket member 2411 at one end of the recess 1511, then tilt the head bar and insert the leading end thereof into that stirrup, then level the head bar, and then put the stirrup 2411 into place at the other end of the head bar. To enable the stirrup 24b to be assembled with the bracket member 24a after the head bar 18a has been brought upwardly against the bracket 24a, the stirrup is made long enough to provide a sufliciently loose fit vertically between the head bar 18a and bracket 24. With the head bar 18a pressed upwardly against the bracket member 2411, the stirrup 24b can be telescoped upwardly over the head bar while longitudinally displaced from the bracket member 24a, after which the stirrup can be shifted toward the bracket member 24a, the outturned stirrup-ends 24f passing over the tops of tabs 24g so that the stirrup can drop into the assembled position shown in FIGURE 5.

For better insight into the 2-part installation bracket 24 and procedures that may be used for mounting a head bar with the same, see said US. patent to Lorentzen, 2,674,432.

A sheet-steel closure 25 (FIGURE 5) is attached to the sheet-steel bottom bar 181 in any suitable manner, as by sheet-metal screws (not shown). This closure has the cross-sectional shape shown in FIGURE 5 and extends for substantially the full length of the recess 1511 that is above the window opening. When the Venetian blind 18 is fully raised as shown in FIGURE 5 the closure 25 closes the recess 15h and conceals the Venetian blind. When the blind is lowered the closure 25 descends with the bottom bar 18L On the interior of the building-wall 15 there is a blindcontrol unit, made largely of sheet-steel stampings, that is designated as a whole by 28 (FIGURES 4, 5 and 6). This control unit has a platelike body-member 28a which supports a tilt-cord pulley 28b and a cord lock 280. The body-member 28a, which is disposed vertically, is positioned against the interior surface 15a of the building-wall and is secured in any suitable manner as by screws 28d (FIGURE 4). Extending across the top of the body-member 28a the-re is a horizontal flange 28:: that projects forwardly from the wall-surface 15a. At the vertical edges of the body-member 28a there are flanges 28 28 which are displaced forwardly somewhat from the wall surface 15a as is seen in FIGURE 6. Each of the flanges 28 28 has a discontinuity at 285 as is seen in FIGURE 4.

The blind-control unit 28 of FIGURES 4, 5 and 6 is arranged to be covered with a stamped sheet-steel cover such as the cover 29 shown in FIGURE 12. This cover is boxlike with an open back and bottom. Extending inwardly from the rear edges of the vertical sides 29a, 29a there are lower fingers 29b, 29b and upper fingers 29c, 290. To mount the cover 29 the open back of the boxlike formation is passed over the cord lock 28c and the cord pulley 28b. Then the lower fingers 29b, 2%- are passed through the discontinuities 28g, 28g in the vertically-extending flanges 28 28 of the body-member 28a. This places the upper fingers 29c, 2% above the level of the tops of the flanges 28 28 Due to the displacement of the flanges 287, 281 forwardly from the wall surface a, the cover 29 may now be lowered-all of the fingers 29b, 29b and 290, 29c passing behind the flanges 28 28 and securing the cover 29 against forward movement. Downward movement of the cover 29 is appropriately arrested by the rear of the top 2% of the cover coming into contact with the forwardly-projecting horizontal flange 28a. To dismount the cover 29 it is slid upwardly until the lower fingers 29b, 2% match the discontinuities 29g, 29g (FIGURE 4) and then brought forwardly.

In FIGURE 12 the cover 29 is shown provided with a headed rodlike member 2% that is attached to and projects rearwardly from the front wall of the cover. The member 29a, which may be made from a solid rivet, is a stop that is omitted in some instances and, when used, has a length depending upon the normal distance between the front of cover 2% and the center of the cord pulley of the blind-control unit to which the cover is applied. In some instances the cord pulley 28b and its shaft are so related to the plate 28a of the blindcontrol unit that fortuitous forward movement of the pulley and shaft is prevented. In such instances the stop 29e of the cover 29 may be omitted. If, however, the cord pulley 28a and its shaft are not so related to the body member 280 as to prevent fortuitous forward movement thereof, then the stop 2% is used. The stop is positioned in alignment with the center of the cord pulley 28b, and the stop is made of such length as to place its free end closely adjacent the center of the cord pulley. Thereby the stop 29e blocks significant forward movement of the cord pulley and its shaft.

The tilt-cord pulley 28b is adapted to be rotated in either direction by a tilt cord 50, which is conveniently accessible to those within the building. Upon rotation of the pulley 28b the blind is tilted in normal manner through a suit-able worm-and-gear tilter 30 (FIGURES 5 and 6) that transmits tilting movement to the D-shaped tilt rod 180, as is well-understood. The driving connection from the pulley 28b to the tilter 30 will now be described.

Punched and drawn from the body 28a of the blindcontrol unit 28 there is an integral thimble 28h (FIG- URES 5 and '6) into which there is press-fitted a bearing sleeve 28i. The pulley 28b is fixedly mounted on the forward end of a pulley shaft a in any suitable man ner. The forward end of the shaft 50a may be noncircular and be of reduced diameter, passing through a mating hole in the pulley and the tip of the shaft being riveted or swaged into clamping relationship with the pulley. With the pulley 28b affixed to the shaft 50a, the shaft is assembled with the bearing sleeve 28i as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6. Then a sleevelike connector 5011 is affixed to the free end of the shaft 50a. The connector 50b is affixed to the free end of the shaft 50a in any suitable manner. The connector 50b may make a press fit with the shaft 50a, and the mating portions of the connector and shaft may be of noncircular cross section.

The tilter 30 (FIGURES 5 and 6) is of conventional internal construction and has a worm shaft 30a, which is the drive shaft or operating shaft of the tilter. In axial alignment with the shaft 30a and fixedly secured thereto, there is a sleevelike connector 30!). The drive shaft 30a of the tilter may have a head 3iic of rectangular cross section which is telescoped into the adjacent end of the con- 6 nector 30b, the metal of the connector being swaged against the four flat sides of the head 300 by swaging at four locations 300. (three shown in FIGURE 5 and three shown in FIGURE 6).

The connectors Stlb and 3611 are in alignment and have confronting sockets which are of D-shaped cross section, as is shown in FIGURE 7 for connector 3%. A length of steel rod 51, of D-shaped cross section, has its ends telescopically received in the D-shaped sockets of connectors 58b and 30b and makes driving connection from the connector Sill; to the connector 36b. Thus, rotation of the pulley 2% by cord 5d results in rotation of the drive shaft 39a of the Venetian-blind filter 30, with consequent tilting of the slats of the blind.

Different wall-and-Window constructions will require rods 51 of different lengths. For use as rod 51, a length is cut from the same tilt-rod stock that is used for the D-shaped tilt rod 18c, the length out being the length of rod 51 needed for the particular installation. With the Venetian'blind head 18a mounted in the recess 15h as shown in FIGURE 5, the rod 51 is inserted through the hole 1511 in the partitioning structure 15 the leading end of the rod being telescoped into the socket of connector 3%. Then the blind-control unit 28 is mounted against the interior surface 15a of the building wall, the socket of the connector Sllb being telescoped over the confronting end of the rod 51.

Within the channel 18b of the Venetian-blind head bar, and mounted on the vertical wall thereof that is toward the interior of the building, there is a 2-cord pulley unit 31 (FIGURES 5 and 6). For attaching this pulley unit to the channel wall any suitable means may be used, sheet-metal screws being shown. The pulley unit 31 is arranged to receive the lift cords 18} and 13k of the Venetian blind and direct them through a hole (not shown) in the wall of the channel 18]], through the hole 15m in the partitioning structure l5j, through a hole (not shown) in the body 23a of the blind-control unit 28, and thence to the cord lock 280.

The cord lock 28a is conventional, having a 2-cord pulley which directs the lift cords L-"ij and 18k downwardly through a U-shaped sheet-steel casing within which there is a locking dog for releasably locking the cords. The cord lock shown is provided with a spring-wire separator 23s which extends between the lift cords 18f and 13k, The lift cords 18 and 18k hang within easy reach of those within the building, for manipulation to raise and lower the Venetian blind 18 in normal manner.

As regards the construction shown in FIGURES 8-11 it will suffice to point out the salient differences from the construction that has already been described. For parts that directly correspond to those in FIGURES l-7 the same reference characters will be used but with added thereto, e.g., 16 in FIGURE 5 and 116 in FIGURE 8.

In FIGURE 8 there is shown a fabricated metal framing, designated as a whole by 66, which is adapted to be set into a building wall of various constructions, e.g. wood, brick, masonry or concrete. The framing 60 provides the window opening at 1150 and, above the window opening, the recess 11512 in which the head bar 113a of the Venetian blind is mounted. Partitioning structure 115 is between the recess lldh and the interior of the building, and partitioning structure 115k is between the recess and the exterior of the building.

The window opening 115a is covered by interior glaz ing 116 and by exterior glazing 117. The exterior glazing is fixed, but the interior glazing 116 is hinged at 116a to afford access to the space between the two glazings.

Each end of the Venetian blind head bar 11811 is sup ported by an installation bracket 124, one of which is seen in FIGURE 8. This bracket is a one-piece sheet-steel stamping, having a vertical leg 12% which is in face-toface contact with the fixed vertical face 115:: of the framing 6!). The face 115a constitutes one side of the window opening 1150 that is provided by the framing 6t). Screws 124b, 12412 pass through adjustment-slots 1240, INC in the bracket-leg 124a and are threaded into the framing structure behind, thereby affixing the bracket 124 to the framing structure 66 in the position shown. Extending horizontally from the top of the bracket-leg 124a there is a shelf that is designated as a whole by 124). This shelf has an upwardly-opening U-shaped portion 124d in the center, which fits around the lower portion of the head bar 118a and supports the head bar. The shelf 124 also has end portions 124e, lZ ie which cooperate with the framing structure 60 to facilitate alignment of the bracket for insertion of the screws 124b, 1245.

In the blind-control unit 128 the platelike body mem ber 128a is formed with a forwardly-displaced U-shaped portion 128i. The portion 128; positions the tilt-cord pulley 12 b forwardly whereby the depending branches of the tilt cord 15% clear the hinge at 116a as is seen in FIGURE 8. Due to the inclusion of the forwardly-displaced portion l28t in the body member 1280 of the blind-control unit, the horizontal flange at the top of the body member 128a is subdivided into three portions that are designated 128e, 128a and 1282", respectively.

The pulley shaft IStla is connected by connector 13-317 to the drive shaft 13% of the tilter 139. The tilter driveshaft Ulla has a slotted head 13630 which receives the screwdriver-like end ll'alik of the connector 1381;. The connector 1301) is a length of sheet-metal tubing one end of which is telescope-:1 over the pulley shaft ltl in drivefit relation therewith and the other end of which is mashed flat to provide the screwdriver-like end 136% which enters the slot in the head 136s of the tiller drive-shaft. For different installations ditferent lengths may be cut from stock tubing to make the connector 130b, whereby a pulley shaft 159a of the same length may be coupled to the drive shaft of the tilter regardless of the distance to the tilter in the particular installation.

Insertion of the connector end l3tlk into the slot of the head 13 3c of the tilter drive-shaft is facilitated by a soft rubber or plastic grommet G that is set into the wall of the head channel 11% and has a funnel mouth which helps to steer the connector-end 113k toward the head 13% of the tilter drive-shaft, Once the connector-end 118k is in engagement with the head 13th of the tilter drive-shaft, the grommet G prevents lateral disengagement.

In the arrangement shown in FIGURES 8 and 9 there is nothing on the shaft to prevent the shaft from shifting lengthwise away from the tilter 13-9 and disengaging connector 1361) from the tilter. However, the blind-control unit 128 is provided with a cover 129 which is the same as the cover 2*)" shown in FIGURE 11 ex cept that the stop 12% is of the length that is appropriate to cooperate with the differently located pulley 1223b and prevent significant forward movement thereof.

It will be seen that in the present walland-window construction the Venetian blind is completely out of the way, but, nevertheless, the blind can be controlled in conventional manner by those within the building to regulate the light passing through the window opening. Moreover, the glazings (l6 and 17, or 116 and 117) protect the blind from dust to a considerable extent and guard the blind against wind action. In installations where protection from outside dust is considered unimportant and protection from wind action is considered unnecessary, the exterior gazing (17 or 117) may be omitted; in addition the exterior partitioning-structure (15k or 115k) may be omitted, in which case the recess at the top of the window opening will have an inner face, a top face, and two end faces but no face corresponding to the omitted partitioning-structure.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A building construction comprising:

a wall through which there is a window-opening from the interior of the building to the exterior of the building;

means providing (a) a recess extending across the top of the window-opening and (b) partitioning-structure located between the recess and the interior of the building;

a Venetian blind within the window-opening, with the head bar of the blind nested in the recess at the top of the window-opening,

the blind including lift cords for raising the slats of the blind, the lift cords extending upwardly into the head bar of the blind the blind including a tilter located in the head bar, the tilter being articulated to the slats of the blind for tilting the slats;

glazing separating the slat-assembly of the blind from the interior of the building;

and control means operable from the interior of the building to cause (a) raising and lowering of the blind and holding of the blind in vertically-adjusted position and (b) tilting of the slats of the blind,

said control means including a cord lock mounted inside of the building and separated from the head bar of the blind by said partitioniug-structure,

the lift cords of the blind being reeved through an opening in the wall of the head bar, through a passage in said partitioningstructure, and downwardly through the cord look inside of the building, and said control means including an actuating means on the interior of the building and separated from the head bar and the tilter thereof by said partitioning-structure,

the tilter being operatively connected to said actuating means by shaft means extending through a hole in the wall of the head bar and thence through a passage in said partitioning structure to the actuating means on the interior of the building.

2. A building construction as in claim l in which the operating connection from the tilter to said actuating means includes a member cut to length from elongated stock, such length being according to the length of the operating connection required for the particular installation.

3. A building construction as in claim 1 in which said cord lock and said actuating means are part of a blindcontrol unit that is mounted on the interior of the building.

4. A building construction as in claim 1 in which said actuating means is a cord-operated tilt-pulley.

5. A building construction as in claim 4 in which the cord lock and the tilt-pulley are part of a blind-control unit that is mounted on the interior of the building and the blind-control unit is provided with a removable cover which substantially conceals the cord lock and the tilt pulley.

6. A building construction as in claim 1 in which there is partitioning-structure located between the recess and the exterior of the building, and glazing separates the slatassembly of the blind from the exterior of the building.

7. A building construction as in claim 6 in which the actuating means of claim 1 is a cord-operated tilt-pulley.

3. A building construction as in claim 7 in which the cord lock of claim 1 and the tilt-pulley of claim 7 are part of a blind-control unit that is mounted on the interior of the building.

9. A building construction as in claim 7 in which the cord lock of claim l and the tilt-pulley of claim 7 are part of a blind-control unit that is mounted in the interior of the building and the blind-control unit is p vided with a removable cover which substantially con- 2,538,210 1/1951 Pirr ie? 16033 ceals the cord lock and the tilt-pulley. 2,874,771 2/1959 Muhr 160-33 References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 410675 4/1945 Italy 2 7 7 8/1939 Simon 160 91 X DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner. 2,340,411 2/1944 Chorpenning 160107 X PETER M. CAUN, Assistant Examiner. 

